A Study on Patient Behaviors Towards Dental Visits and Oral Health during COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Objectives: Investigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on oral health and patient attitudes towards a dental visit is essential to improving access to oral health care during the pandemic. This calls for studying the chief patient fears, preferences and future intentions related to dental visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A web-based survey was administered to the public within the US in December 2020. The participants (N=502) answered questions about their oral health, trust level for dental offices, and chief concerns and preferences related to dental visits during the COVID-19 outbreak. We used descriptive statistics (e.g., Chi-square, Shapiro-Wilk and Kruskall-Wallis tests) to find if demographics, oral health history or social behaviors were associated with the relevant patient attitudes. Results: When queried about COVID-19's impact on oral health, 62.5% respondents reported a minimal impact, 7.2% a positive impact, and 30.3% a negative impact. There were statistically significant differences in responses based on respondents' ethnicity (N=502, P=.033) and dental visit history during the pandemic (N=502, P=.008). The public trust rating for COVID-19-related precautions was more favorable towards the medical offices than the dental offices (N=502, P